Nevis Senior Citizens Day Marked With Splendour and fun
By Pauline Waruguru
Nevis Reporter-SKNVibes.com
Charlestown; Nevis: Nevis joined other countries in the world to mark The International Day for Older Persons, which was celebrated on October 1st.
The seniors turned out in great numbers and enjoyed numerous fun activities planned for them by the Ministry of Social Development at the Methodist Church Hall, Nevis.
Nevisian leaders paid gratitude to the seniors for their invaluable contributions to the development of the island and they also renewed their commitment to ensure that effective and practical policies are implemented to guarantee that the senior citizens are well cared for, which coincides with the theme of the International Day for Older Persons.
Premier of Nevis, the Hon. Joseph Parry, socialized with the senior folk and further underscored the role they played in the development of the island.
He branded them as excellent sources of knowledge and noted that it was ideal for younger Nevisians to converse with these senior citizens to be versed in the rich history and culture of the island.
He also admonished the senior folk to encourage the youngsters to emulate their way of life that which is governed by strong morals and family values.
“Tell the children about good behaviour,” Parry said.
He recalled when it was easy for even twenty year old children to be controlled by parents and lamented the fact that children today are drawn to rebellious lifestyles, making it difficult to guide them in the right ways.
He concluded by imploring them to continue being pillars of strong morals in the community.
Minister with responsibility for Social Development, Hon. Hensley Daniel, told the senior citizens that their past efforts enabled the current generation to enjoy an easy life.
He also called for the reintroduction of good values among the youth, especially at this period where such values have been eroded.
“Help us to make them (values) our central focus and to sustain the kind of respect given to the elderly in Africa. The way we treat the elderly is reflective of who we are,” he noted
Minister Daniel said he would ensure that sustainable programmes are put in place to make the elderly comfortable and he disclosed that some programmes are already in place.
A home-based care health programme and establishment of a Retired Professional and Skills Corp to ensure the elderly persons who are active in their aging process can do constructive things are two of the programmes that are already in effect.
He challenged the senior citizens to continue to be beacons of hope and pointed to the Prime Minister of India, a 76 year old, who is running country of over one billion people, and added that they too can be equally impactful.
Daniel concluded by urging the youth to recognise the elderly and to assist them in whatever way possible.
The Director of Social Development, Sandra Maynard, also encouraged the youth to treasure the senior citizens and to exhibit the utmost respect for them.
Globally, older people are calling for recognition of their vital role in society and a package of universal non-contributory pensions, health care, focused on the unique needs of older men and women, and anti-discriminatory legislation for all older persons worldwide.
`Whether it is a grandmother in Africa caring for her grandchildren after their parents have died of AIDS or a grandfather in India continuing to work to support his extended family, the vital role of older persons is seriously underestimated by governments and others all around the world,` says Richard Blewitt, HelpAge International`s Chief Executive Officer.
Today there are around 600 million persons aged 60 years and above worldwide and this total is expected to double by 2025 and by 2050 the number is projected to rise to two billion. The majority would be in developing world.
Older people will increasingly play a critical role -through volunteer work, transmitting experience and knowledge, helping their families with caring responsibilities and increasing their participation in the paid labour force.
The International Day of the Elderly day was declared by United Nations General Assembly in 1990. It is dedicated to honour, respect and care for the world’s elderly.
